Poststroke seizures: Turkish multicentric stroke trial results

Abstract

The aim of the study was to evaluate the prevalence and some risk factors for poststroke seizures. 2231 consecutive patients who were diagnosed with stroke in 40 different Neurology Clinics in our country in one year period were included in this study. Epileptic seizures were only developed in 54 male and 58 female patients (% 5.02). In 38 (% 34) of those patients seizures occured during sleep and while 78 (% 66) of them presented seizure while awake. According to vascular pathology; one patient (% 0.89) had transient ischemic attack, 53 (% 47.32) had ishemic stroke and 58 (% 51.78) had hemorrhagic stroke. Of the patients, 32 (% 28.6) had previous stroke story, 85 (% 75.9) had hypertension and 18 (% 16.1) had diabetes mellitus. There is no statistical differencies according to sex and age (p>0.05). Hemorrhagic stroke had higher risk for poststroke seizures than ischemic stroke (p<0.05). Although hypertention, diabetes mellitus and previous stroke story were important risk factors for stroke, they were not found as a risk factor for poststroke seizures (p>0.05). On the other hand, poststroke seizures were observed higher frequency in regular antidiabetic drug user patients with diabetes and stroke (p<0.05). Contrary to this result, poststroke seizures were lower incidence at regular antihypertensive drug user patients with stroke and hypertention (p>0.05).